


Rose, the Doctor and the Detective

by silversurfer60



Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-18 21:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4721261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silversurfer60/pseuds/silversurfer60
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose and the Doctor take a break in Broadchurch and come face to face with Alec Hardy, who is new in town. Ellie Miller thinks she is seeing double when she sees Rose with who she thinks is a clean shaven detective she has just left in the station. The two are never seen together so she and Becca Fisher think Hardy is doing a Superman/Clark Kent on them but who will Rose chose?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Can the Doctor keep passing himself off as Alec Hardy?

Rose had been begging the Doctor to take them away for a few days break and he finally gave in.

"So, somewhere noisy or quiet then?" he asked, dancing around the console.

"How about a nice quiet seaside town in the not so distant future?"

"Well there are plenty of places to choose from, maybe somewhere on the south coast. How about Brighton?"

"Yeah, ok then, somewhere along there. Just don't let us end up in the middle of hurricane on a remote desert island, yeah?"

"Oh Rose, I'm not that bad, am I?"

Rose laughed and went to pack. Wheeling her suitcase into the console room, she asked where they had landed.

"Ah, well, it's not exactly Brighton but it does begin with a 'B' and we're a bit in the future, it's 2013. Seems it's a little coastal town called Broadchurch."

"Never heard of it. Is there much to do here?"

"Well it seems nice and quiet, you can do some relaxing on the beach. I've booked us a hotel for a few nights, I managed to get two single rooms, unless you want to share?"

"Best not, we might get a few stares."

"Well it seems the hotel owner was glad of the bookings, business is a bit slow apparently."

He had parked the Tardis behind the hotel but put it slightly out of sync just in case. After checking in, the hotel owner staring at the Doctor, Rose went to unpack then knocked on his room door.

"Why did she look at you like that? I thought she had seen a ghost or something."

"She must have mistaken me for someone or she fancied me?" he boasted.

"Yeah? Well she can keep her mitts off and get in line." She reached up and gave him a quick kiss.

Their relationship was still at the odd kiss stage and neither of them seemed to be in a hurry to up the stakes. Rose put it down to him wanting to take it slowly and the Doctor put it down to Rose wanting a normal human relationship called 'Going steady' and he didn't want to spoil it. It had taken them a while to even get to that stage.

"Well can we go down to the beach and check it out before we have dinner?"

He gave in and they set off, arm in arm as the hotel owner gave them another funny look.

Becca Fisher could have sworn when he had gone out that morning, he still had a beard and definitely no blonde on his arm with her hands all over him and why would he be checking in under another name? Was he playing some sort of charade with the blonde, someone called Rose Tyler and was he trying to impress her or fool her? She shook her head and went back to her cancelled bookings, this murder was doing no good to her hotel business and she would have to ask Paul to help her go through her not so good finances. She would be lucky if she made it through the summer at this rate.

Rose and the Doctor strolled hand in hand down the High Street and down onto the seafront, crossing over the river and to the harbour. Rose stopped to watch the boats bobbing up and down and looked across the road to see the harbour turned into a river and there were rowing boats out on it. Pointing to the boats, the Doctor promised he would take her out on one the following day.

"Aw, look at that quaint blue chalet over there. We should have rented that," said Rose.

"I'm sure someone already uses it and we're not going to be here that long," he replied, dragging her along.

They passed by the newsagents before crossing over the car park. A man was standing outside, tidying a rack of postcards and looked right at the Doctor, then shook his head. The Doctor spotted him out of the corner of his eye, just like the hotel owner had looked at him. Had he really been mistaken for someone else or was it his imagination?

They turned the corner only to be confronted with a large blue and white tent on the beach, police tape all around it. It peeked the Doctor's interest.

"Ooh! What do we have here then?" he asked, getting what Rose called his sexy specs out of his pocket and getting his psychic paper out of his other pocket. The uniformed officer let them through.

"Who does it say you are?" Rose asked, amused.

He turned the psychic paper around. "Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, apparently."

Without giving the game away, he asked how they were getting on. After finding out a young boy had been found on the beach a few days ago, it saddened Rose when she found out how young he was.

"Maybe we should go see the family, you know to offer our sympathy?"

"No, we'd best leave it Rose, let them grieve, we don't need to intrude on them."

He led Rose under the police tape and they walked off down the beach. A voice was heard behind them.

"Sir, are you going back to the station?"

He turned back to a man in a white suit. "Just taking a look further down the beach."

"Then who's this with you?"

"Ah, this is a new recruit – Lewis."

The man nodded and went back towards the tent. Rose giggled. "Best not let them see us holding hands then."

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Back at Broadchurch Police Station, the real DI Alec Hardy was still not getting along with his DS, Ellie Miller. They were getting nowhere fast with this murder investigation and Hardy was not at his best. He knew he should have never taken this job, he was supposed to be keeping quiet, under the radar and now he was knee-deep in a murder investigation as if the last one hadn't taken its toll on him both mentally and physically.

"We need to get anyone back in here who doesn't have an alibi and we need to find out where that money came from."

Miller was tired of his questions, he never gave her time to answer. She had complained to her husband about it and all he'd suggested was to kill him with kindness and now he was telling her to invite him over for dinner.

"Come to dinner."

"What? Why would I do that?"

"It's what people do, they have their boss over for dinner. Pick a night."

"That's not a good idea Miller."

"Why do you have to be so bloody awkward. Know many people around here do you?"

Hardy shrugged his shoulders.

"Then just say yes unless you like eating hotel food all the time."

Hardy considered. "Yes."

"What?"

"I said yes."

"Right, what was so difficult about that? Next Tuesday then."

"Fine."

Miller went out and kicked the waste paper basket, sending litter all over the floor under the desk. She called him a few choice names. She put her jacket on and picked up a bunch of papers with names of people without an alibi and went off to interview some of them. As she was walking out of the front door around to the police garage, she could see the pavement opposite and saw a man and a woman walking hand in hand, laughing and she could have sworn it was Hardy, without a beard, dressed in a brown pinstriped suit but she had just left him, grumpy as ever in his office. She shook her head and put it down to the stress Hardy was putting her under and walked around to her car.

The Doctor and Rose were walking past some new buildings toward the Esplanade, wanting to see the rest of the sea front. Rose was disappointed to see the ice cream kiosk was closed.

"It's nearly time for dinner Rose. You can't have ice cream before you eat. We'll come back tomorrow afternoon if you like. Now come on if we walk up this road, it will take us back to the hotel."

After a few more stares in the dining room, the Doctor wanted to go tinker with the Tardis controls to find out why the ship had brought them seven years into the future and supposed it may have been due to this murder that had taken place and they were somehow meant to help but he wanted to check anyway.

"Right, I won't be long but don't wait up, see you in the morning. Are you going to your room?"

"Nah, thought I'd hang around, someone might buy me a drink."

"Okey dokey then." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

That was her problem, that was all he did unless she initiated it and then it wasn't a proper snogging, just a quick kiss and it wasn't likely to progress unless she did something about it. She went into the bar and Becca asked if she was drinking. Fishing in her pocket, she found some pound coins she didn't know she had and bought a lemonade, smiling at the woman.

"Oh, my friend's in his room, I forgot to get some money off of him."

"It's ok, don't worry. Is he your boyfriend?"

That was indeed a good question. "We're just friends travelling together. I'm sort of his assistant, he's writing a book, a travel book." It was all she could think of at such short notice and she would have to tell him later. "Sometimes we just get a bit carried away but it's nothing serious, worse luck."

Neither of them saw one Alec Hardy come in the side door and go to his room. He'd eaten earlier. Miller had brought fish and chips back, wrapped in paper and he hated eating them out of paper. He'd run out of bottled water so he made his way down to the bar to get a couple of more bottles so he could take his pills. He also hated the taste of tap water. He walked into the bar and saw a few people and noticed a young blonde woman sat on her own, playing with what he thought was an old model phone and thought she probably couldn't afford a new one.

Becca looked up, surprised. "DI Hardy, what can I get for you? Are you going to join your friend over there? And what's with the beard?"

"What friend? What about my beard?"

"Well this morning, you went out with a beard, then you came back without it around 3pm with Miss Tyler over there and now you have it again, what's with it?"

"Who is Miss Tyler?" a confused Alec Hardy asked.

Becca smiled. They were playing some kind of game. "Blonde, over there playing with a phone that's about 7 or 8 years out of date. She said you would be buying her more drinks."

"And what is she drinking exactly?"

"Lemonade. Said she forgot to get some more money from you."

"Did she now? What do you think she should be drinking?"

"I'd say white wine and lemonade, just a guess." She began pouring one.

Rose looked up and waved at him and he paid for the drink, asking her to keep the bottles of water and not to let him forget them. He walked over and sat opposite Rose and put the drink down.

"Ta. That didn't take you long then?"

"What didn't?"

Rose took a drink. "You remembered. I meant it didn't take you long to you know, do what you went to do. Where'd ya get that beard from? It looks very impressive." She put her fingers on his chin and ran than across his jaw line. "Very realistic."

She was going to ask him if he'd gone ahead a few weeks and grown the beard then come back to her, just to wind her up but they were in public. She would ask him later.

"I've had it a while. Have we met before Miss Tyler?"

Rose noticed he wasn't drinking. "What's with the Miss Tyler? Are we playing games again?"

"I don't know, are we? You seem to know me, you have me at a disadvantage."

Rose giggled. "Oh come on, stop playing around, you're not fooling me for a minute. I know why and how you grew the beard in such a short space of time." She took another, rather large swallow of her drink and put the nearly empty glass down. "Buy me another and I'll tell you."

Alec Hardy did as he was bid. She may just be setting herself up for a night in his bed, not that he could actually do much but if she'd had a few, she would never notice and he needed to relax, Becca Fisher was the only other woman he would contemplate asking but she had just provided a main suspect with an alibi for the evening of Danny Latimer's death so he wasn't so keen.

Besides, he was intrigued as to her theory and more intrigued she thought she knew him. Taking another drink over to her, getting a non-alcoholic one for himself, he sat down beside her. He put his arm around the back of the seat and asked her to tell him more.

"Oh come on Doctor, it's not funny any more. How long were you away for?"

He took a drink. "Away from what? Look I know you've obviously mistaken me for someone else so I'll introduce myself. I'm Alec Hardy."

Rose almost choked as she swallowed her second drink. "I think you're taking this too seriously Doctor although it's quite good, for you that is. Just because you convinced the police on the beach doesn't mean you have to continue the charade."

"What charade? I really have no idea what you're talking about so perhaps you can enlighten me? Who's this Doctor? I can prove who I am. Becca, come over here will you please?"

Becca came over. "Tell Miss Tyler who I am please, she seems to think I'm someone else."

Becca was not the one to be asking, she was already confused. "Well I thought you were DI Alec Hardy, until you came in with her this afternoon without your beard so it's no use asking me. Unless you have a twin, one without a beard?"

Rose nearly choked again. "Oh no, I'm so sorry detective, you look just like him, my friend. I should have known but he's always playing tricks on me."

Alec was not amused. "So someone has been pretending to be me have they?"

"Well not exactly. I'm Rose by the way and my friend's called The Doctor. We travel together, I do research for him and well, I'm afraid we were on the beach this afternoon and someone mistook him for you. He did try to get out of it, sorry."

What else could she say? She couldn't just admit he'd used the psychic paper to find out what was going on. Becca was relieved she wasn't going mad.

"Well that solves that then. You'll have to get him down here to prove they are not the same person," Becca mused.

Alec was anything but amused but still wanted to know if Rose Tyler was free. Becca went back behind the bar, smiling. Hardy was wasting his time, judging by the display earlier when Rose had her hands all over this Doctor. Rose tried to explain to him how she was just travelling around the country, he was writing a travel book and they were really only friends. Alec saw his chance.

"So how long are you here for?" Alec asked, hopefully.

"Oh just a few days. I think we'll be gone the day after tomorrow, he doesn't like staying in one place for too long."

That was true, the Doctor hated being trapped in one place, something that stemmed back to when he was trapped on earth.

"Well that's a shame, since I've only just got to know you Rose."

Rose knew when she was being chatted up and DI Alec Hardy, well the real one, was definitely chatting her up.

"Well perhaps you can meet my friend tomorrow night, see how much alike you really look and again, I'm sorry for thinking you were him. I hope I didn't offend you?"

"No, not much anyway. Can I get you another drink Rose?" he asked, picking up her glass.

He soon came back and just as Rose was telling him about where she came from, she saw the Doctor go past the bar, not bothering to look inside. Well if he thought she was going to stay in her room all night watching TV, he had another thing coming. She had told him she would get someone to buy her a drink or two or three. Just after ten, Rose decided she'd had enough and really wanted to have a proper snog with Alec Hardy. It wasn't like she and the Doctor were an item, they hugged, held hands, wound each other up and sneaked the odd kiss now and then but nothing serious. Did he even think of her as his girlfriend? He'd never said anything at all to her, it had just become second nature to them and right now, she could just snog the life out of one Alec Hardy, beard or no beard.

She put her empty glass down. "Another drink Rose?"

"Na, I know my limit, I'm off to bed."

"Then can I at least escort you to your room?"

"Why not? I'm on the second floor, I think," she smiled.

Alec thought she looked very young and he had no business contemplating getting her into his room for some 'relaxation' or anything else for that matter but his body and his brain were on a different page. He needed to let out some of the frustration that had been building up inside since his divorce and his last disastrous case and she was leaving anyway, what was the harm?


	2. Chapter 2

They walked upstairs and Rose stopped in front of her door. The Doctor was in the next room, probably either wondering where she was or he had brought something from the Tardis to fix, never mind what she needed.

"So, this is your room? Mine's just across. I don't suppose you'd want to keep me company for a while, would you?"

Rose pretended to consider, she had already made her mind up if he asked her. She wasn't going to miss a chance like this. The very least she would get a good snog out of him then she could make the Doctor jealous and kick him into making a move. Well it was half an idea.

"Why not, mine's only a single room anyway."

"What about your friend?"

"Oh. He'll be fine, he won't even check on me, I'm a free agent."

Well it wasn't like he owned her and he had put up with Mickey for long enough, which probably explained his reluctance to pursue things any further. Alec opened his door, Rose dodged under his arm as he held it open, then he took off his jacket and threw it on the chair, loosening his tie. He had managed to remember the bottles of water and went into the bathroom to take his pills, not wanting Rose to see him doing so.

Alec took his tie off and began unfastening his shirt buttons, Rose took over and finished the task for him, running her fingers down his chest as she did. She liked a man with chest hair for some strange reason, she found Alec had just enough, not too much. He leaned down to kiss her neck, smelling her perfume.

"You smell nice Rose. Does that sound cheesy? I hope not."

He continued to kiss down her neck and her collarbone, until he reached the v-shaped neck of her pink top, pushing it back on her and continuing to kiss just above her right breast. Then he moved across, doing the same on her other side. Rose put her arms around his neck and began pulling his shirt across his shoulders, trying to get it down his back but the cuffs were still fastened. While still kissing the top of her breasts, he fumbled with the cuffs of his shirt as Rose tugged it over his arms, ready to take it off.

As soon as her mission was accomplished, Alec lifted the hem of her top and pulled it over her head, revealing her black lacy bra. She was glad she was wearing her best underwear. He leaned down some more, trying to lift the cups of her bra to get access to more exposed skin. Rose was nestled in his neck, kissing it and trying to avoid his prickly facial stubble but finding it was quite soft and not minding so much. Then he steered her backwards towards the bed and sat her down.

"Shall I do the honours?" he asked, taking her shoes off then toeing off his own. Rose just smiled.

Then he pushed her backwards across the bed, pulling at her trousers, with her help and soon had them off. Then Rose reached for his belt and the fastener on his, pulling at the zip and noting he seemed rather large. It had been a while since she had been with a man, she had stopped being with Mickey after she started travelling with the Doctor and he only messed around anyway, it never lasted very long and he never did it to her liking, it was all about what he wanted. Pulling his trousers down until they fell around his ankles, he stepped out of them. Then he knelt astride her and leaned down as Rose grabbed his neck and pulled him down.

Trying to keep a grip on the edge of the bed, they began kissing in earnest, sending shivers down Rose's back. She had never been kissed like this before. Rose scrambled further onto the bed, allowing more room for Alec's legs on the bed as he reached around her back and unfastened her bra, flinging it across the other side. Then breaking the kiss and leaving her totally breathless and lost for words, he dived down to kiss both her breasts as her arms wandered around his back and her hands found themselves down the back of his shorts, groping his bum and calling "Alec."

Alec smiled, at least she remembered his name. He whispered "Rose" back to her as he looked up to see her smiling. He moved down to kiss across her tummy, his hand wandering to the waistband of her black lacy knickers.

"Rose, may I?" he asked, fingering the material.

That was a first for her, someone asking her. "Mmm, please Alec, please."

He moved his position to free the article as it came over her legs. He could already feel she was getting excited and he wasn't too bad himself in that department. It had been a good while, not that he hadn't wanted to but he was afraid to, afraid of going too far and ending up in the emergency room. He would have to take this easy and not over-strain himself. Perhaps she would understand. He threw the item over onto the floor and knelt again, kissing her hips and working his way inwards to kiss her lower half.

Rose pinched his bum as she let out a squeal, to which Alec smiled and continued what he was doing and Rose had never felt like this in her life as he kissed and bit her and he looked up, smiled and Rose took one hand from his bum and ran it through his hair.

"Alec, please, I want you."

Alec only hoped he could oblige. He moved to one side slightly and placed his fingers where he had just been kissing and Rose squealed again then he watched her face as he made her moan for him, her smile getting wider with the pleasure she was getting from him. Rose had never experienced anything like it, she had faked most of them with Mickey just to keep him from doing it clumsily again but this time, it was the real thing. As she came down slowly from her high, Alec moved so she could scramble towards the pillows, rather awkwardly as she didn't want to let go entirely of his bum as he crawled after her, getting under the covers she had just pulled back.

Rose pulled him back down on her to snog him again, fumbling to pull his boxer's down one handed as the other was ruffling his hair again. He realised what she was doing and stopped her.

"Rose, I need you to be on top, ok?" He knew he could just manage if she did all the actual hard work, he had just taken his pills and should be ok.

Rose managed a "Mmm, whatever you say Alec" back to him as she battled his hand out of the way and resumed her mission.

Scrambling out of his shorts, Rose could now tell she had been right with her earlier estimation of Alec and wasn't disappointed as he moved onto his back and she went to hover over him, stopping to kiss her way across his chest, just to torment him.

"Rose, I don't have any protection with me."

"S'ok, I'm covered."

At least she thought she was but it was only one time, she would get a shot when she got back to the Tardis, she was sure there would be something on board. She had stopped taking anything after she stopped seeing Mickey, mainly because it messed with her periods and she was better without it and it wasn't like she needed to take it.

"There's one more thing Rose."

Rose looked up and smiled. "What's wrong?"

"Well I neglected to tell you I have a bit of a health problem so go easy on me will you?"

Rose ran her finger across his stomach. "What sort of problem are we talking about? You seem fine to me."

"Well it's not something you would notice. If something happens, leave me a few minutes then if I'm no better, call an ambulance. I have pills but I've only just taken them."

Rose sat up. "Should you even be thinking of contemplating this if there's something wrong with you?"

"Rose, I need this. I've been under a lot of stress and I need to relax. I've not been with anyone since I got divorced. I'll be fine, honestly, just go easy. Please Rose, I've never even wanted to try again until tonight, believe me. If you have to call, tell them I have a heart condition, they'll know from my records."

"And do the police know about this?"

"No and you can't tell them, I have to finish this case, I let a killer get away on my last case and I'm not doing it again. I'll get help when it's over, I swear I will. Please Rose, please be with me?"

Rose leaned down kissing his chest then went to kiss him properly. "Ok, if you promise you'll let me help you. The Doctor I'm with, he could help you."

"I thought he was a writer?"

"Well that's not exactly true, it just saves a lot of explaining. He's brilliant and he could help you with your condition, I'm sure he could. Please Alec, you have to trust someone, trust me.''

He knew she was concerned about him. "OK, I trust you now come here."

Rose moved over him and laid herself down, gasping as they touched. As Rose moved around on him, doing all the work, Alec relaxed and just went along with it. All the tension that had been building up was beginning to fade away as she moved on him, he preferred to be the one on top but this was the only way he could be close to a woman and Rose dispelled all his fears he couldn't have sex any more as she made soft moaning sounds and called his name as they came at the same time.

Rose finally collapsed on him as they both felt their pleasure wash over them, Rose still reeling from the sensation he had made her feel. She had never felt like that before and still didn't know what had happened this time that Alec should be any different but she knew it was different. Rose moved onto her side and looked to see if he was ok. He was trying to get his breath back but apart from that, he wasn't clutching his chest or seemed in any sort of pain, he thought he had got away with it.

"Rose, you were amazing. I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, that was great Alec. I'd never have known there was anything wrong with you if you'd not said."

"I just didn't want to collapse on you and you didn't know what to do. I've just proved I can still have sex without it actually killing me but you did help, you didn't have to go easy on me, you could have walked out."

"I wouldn't have done that, I'm not like that. It's been a while for me too. I was a bit shy at first but you were just as gentle, just what I needed. Are you ok?"

He was getting his breath back and his heartbeat was returning to normal, well as normal as his ever got. "I'm fine Rose, really. Do you have to leave now?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No. My alarm it set for 7am, I could wake you. Will you tell your friend?"

Rose giggled. "No way, it's nothing to do with him. I'll talk to him in the morning, come and meet him at breakfast, I'll introduce you. I'll just say you bought me a couple of drinks since I had no money on me. Then come and meet us tomorrow evening and I'll talk to him, you can tell him what's wrong with you."

"I have heart arrhythmia tell him. The only hope is for me to have a pacemaker but they don't know if I'll survive the operation."

Rose was horrified. She couldn't allow him to suffer like that, even if she hadn't just had the best sex of her life with him, she had to get the Doctor to help him or at least try to.

"I'll tell him."

She got up and retrieved her knickers then picked up his shorts, flinging them at him. He caught them mid-air and smiled. Rose had made him feel better already. After she came out of his bathroom and settled down with him, she fell asleep, Alec promising to wake her when his alarm went off. He felt happier than he had in a long time and he knew now it wasn't too late for him to hope he could get better.

They woke the next morning and kissed for a while and Rose went back to her room, hoping that the Doctor's hearing wasn't that good that he would hear her sneaking into her room. Just after eight, there was a tap at her door. It was the Doctor.

"OK Rose? Coming for breakfast? Who were you talking to last night? I heard voices outside your room and did you sneak into your room without saying goodnight?"

Rose was sure she was blushing. "Didn't know you were back. I was talking to the real DI Alec Hardy, he's a real detective, no wonder they let you into that crime scene."

"You didn't tell him did you?"

"Not exactly. Oh, he's not going to arrest you or anything. Me and the hotel owner both thought he was you playing ticks on us until we realised. He thought it was funny. We were talking, he bought me a few drinks. Doctor, he needs your help, he's seriously ill."

The Doctor sat on the chair near the door. "Go on, what's wrong with him?"

"He's got a heart condition, heart arrhythmia and he needs a pacemaker, only he may not survive having one fitted. Can you do anything for him?"

The Doctor considered her words. "I'd have to met him and take him to the infirmary and that means bringing him into the Tardis but seeing he's in the police, I don't see that will be a problem, no-one would believe him probably. Ok, I'll meet with him, you seem to make a habit of helping lost causes Rose Tyler. Now hurry up, I'm starving."

They went down to breakfast, Rose not so keen to be all over him this time and he looked relieved she wasn't clinging to him as they entered the dining room. Alec was already seated so Rose went up to him.

"Morning Alec, this is the Doctor I was telling you about. You can tell why I thought you were him. Doctor, this is the real Alec Hardy, say hello."

The Doctor leapt forward and thrust his hand out, grabbing Alec's. "Yes, right, hello, I'm the Doctor, nice to meet you Alec Hardy, very nice, more than nice, brilliant. Sorry those officers on the beach thought I was you, I did try to tell them. Anyway, may we join you?"

He pulled a chair out and sat opposite, on the outside, leaving Alec to stand up to let Rose sit down. "Rose told me you have a slight problem Alec, care to tell me about it?" the Doctor said quietly.

"Did she tell you what it was?"

"Yes she did and I can help you, if you want. I know you've probably got to get to work so meet us tonight, behind the hotel, I need to take you somewhere. Do you trust us?"

"I trust Rose so I'll have to trust you. I'd rather not talk here though, only you two know about it. I'll be back just after six, I'll go straight round to the car park, I'll meet you there."

They had breakfast and Alec said he had to leave but not before he took Rose to one side when the Doctor went back upstairs. Making sure no-one was around, he pulled her into the sitting room and kissed her.

"Can I trust him Rose? You seem to have a lot of faith in his abilities."

"Yes Alec, you can trust him, I'll see you tonight then. Don't worry, you'll still make it in time for dinner."

They kissed again and Alec left first, feeling optimistic. Rose went up and tapped on the Doctor's door.

"Are you ready to go then? You promised me a boat ride on the river, remember?"

He smiled. "So I did Rose. Are you sure you only had a few drinks with him last night?"

Rose pulled a face. "I just met him Doctor, we were talking, he's just lonely and wanted someone to tell his secret to, his boss doesn't know about his health problem. We were all laughing because me and Becca thought it was you playing games with us."

The Doctor didn't know whether to believe her or not but she had only just met the man, his could-be twin. They went out and Rose wanted to look in the shops on the High Street, just as Ellie Miller was passing by in her car, seeing the two of them looking in a shop window and thought maybe she should go get her eyes tested, she was seeing double again.

Ellie arrived at the station, passed Hardy sat in his office reading his computer screen and tried to forget what she thought she had just seen. She was either imagining it or he had a twin or worse still, he had a time machine and kept swapping between having and not having a beard and changing his suit. It was that or he was Clark Kent and Superman and she doubted that very much.

Alec tried to concentrate but all he could think of was last night with Rose, she had been amazing but he was worried now what he was setting himself up for plus she was young, very young and he had no business with a young blonde, let alone getting her into his bed and having sex with her but she had been just what he had needed.


	3. Chapter 3

After Rose finally got the Doctor to take her on the river and having fish and chips for lunch, they went back to the hotel and into the Tardis. They went to the infirmary where he got out some books and began reading about Alec's condition.

"He really needs an operation Rose, he probably knows that already though. What did he say his chances were?"

"Not good, he's supposed to keep from getting stressed but he's trying to solve a murder and it's not helping. Maybe we can help him with that too?"

"He doesn't seem the type who accepts help, not professional help, we should let him solve it but maybe we can point him in the right direction, if we find out what he already knows. That's your department. Mine's seeing if I can come up with a cure for him."

He fingered through the book in front of him, making noises, running his fingers through his hair while Rose sat and watched him. He knew she was concerned about the man's health, that was what she did but was there something she wasn't telling him? They had only just met him but Rose made friends very quickly, he knew that but just how friendly had they actually got? The man looked just like him and Rose was easily led, he didn't own her and as for them going around kissing and holding hands, he wasn't entirely comfortable with it, he was out of his depth.

Yes, he had been jealous of Mickey and any other man she had laid eyes on but he wanted her to be happy and he knew the next time he regenerated, she may no longer want to travel with him and she would need someone now Mickey was no longer around. First though, he had to make sure Alec Hardy was the right man and if he was, make sure he was fit. It wouldn't do for her to go off with him then he died of a heart attack on her. What would her mother say? Jackie Tyler had a problem with him being older and Alec looked the same earth age as he did but Rose needed a father-figure after all she had been through.

It was almost time for Alec to come and meet them so the Doctor made the Tardis visible and Rose waited by the door, seeing Alec walk around the back of the hotel.

"Hi, come in."

Alec looked at the Police Box that Rose was stood in the doorway of. "This is where you're taking me?"

Rose smiled. "Trust me Alec, it's much bigger on the inside." She stepped through the door and Alec followed, looking around.

"I think you two have some explaining to do, don't you? A travel writer and his assistant?"

"Well, we do actually travel, believe it or not, just not in the conventional manner. It's a time machine and we're from 2006," the Doctor explained. "If you come with me, I may be able to help you, if you want?"

Alec followed behind them, looking around and not even wanting to know what was going on. Had he made a mistake last night getting involved with Rose? He needed to talk to her and ask if it had meant anything to her other that passing some time while she waited to go to the next place and who had a time machine? More importantly, was he losing his sanity, trusting two time travellers? What would Miller make of all this if she ever found out?

In the infirmary, the Doctor got out his stethoscope and listened to Alec's heart, ironic since he himself had two.

"I need to work on this Alec, why don't we all get something to eat then I'll come back and start on it?"

They all agreed and made their way to the dining room, getting some funny looks from Becca again and the few diners as they all sat together, laughing at the Doctor's jokes until he announced he was off to start work on Alec's cure. That left Alec and Rose alone and they went into the bar.

"Don't worry Alec, he'll think of something, I'm sure of it. What did you think then?"

"About where you come from? Seriously? I don't know but best not talk about it in public though."

Rose agreed. After two drinks, Rose said she should go check how the Doctor was getting on.

"Come to my room when you've checked?" Alec asked, kissing her cheek as he had watched her walk around the corner of the hotel.

"Yeah, I will and if he's found something, I'll let you know."

She reached up to kiss him. "See you later."

Rose strolled into the Tardis and went to the infirmary. She wanted to ask if there was anything she could take to counteract being with Alec last night but was afraid he might ask too many question so looking casually around, she spotted a drawer marked 'Human females' and even more casually opened it.

"Looking for something Rose?"

"Who me? Nah. What's in here anyway?"

"How would I know? I'm not a human female am I?" He waggled his eyebrows. "You were a bit cool today, not your usual self. No sneaking kisses when no-one was looking, less on the hand holding. Anything wrong?"

"I figured you weren't keen on that in public so I thought I'd back off, I can resume it if you want?"

"Maybe not. Get what you need out of there Rose. It's ok if you want to get closer, if that's what you want."

"How did you know?"

"Oh come on Rose, don't think I hadn't noticed? If you want to up our relationship, you only had to ask, I thought you just wanted a normal human relationship where you go out together and work up to the other stuff. I'm not exactly an expert in that field you know."

Rose smiled. That wasn't quite what she had in mind now but how could she tell him she had already slept with Alec Hardy? If he found out, would he refuse to help with Alec's problem?

"No, it's fine, I'm not exactly ready after Mickey's departure even though I didn't go out with him after I met you."

"I didn't mean that Rose, go have some fun while I work. Go on, it's ok, I know."

"We just had a few drinks, he's lonely and you'd know all about that. I don't want to hurt either of you."

"You're not and I'm not ready to give you what you really want Rose and you know why. I'll change one day and you'll leave. Alec Hardy won't change and if I have anything to do with it, he'll have a good few years left in him. I should get to work on this and you bring him back here before breakfast. We leave in the morning."

He didn't want to ask if she would be going with him or not but she was seven years in the future, out of her time and it could have serious consequences to her timeline and that of those around her.

She kissed his cheek and said she would see him in the morning.

"Rose. You'll find what you need in that drawer, pass it here."

Rose took out a bottle and a plastic needle and he drew the liquid from the bottle, injecting it into her.

"It won't cover you if something has already happened Rose, just be warned."

Rose wasn't sure if anything had happened, it was only one time. Rose left and went back to the hotel and knocked on Alec's room door. He let her in and leaned down to kiss her.

"Any news yet Rose? I think you also owe me some sort of explanation, don't you?"

"He's still working on it Alec, he won't stop until he finds the answer. What do you want to know?"

"Where you come from. Was any of that true what you told me last night? Did last night mean anything to you?"

"Yes it did Alec and what I told you was true, just seven years ago. It didn't exactly enter the conversation we were having last night. I can't stay here now you know, I don't belong here, I have to go back Alec and I don't want to."

Alec put his arms around her. "Tell me about this Doctor."

"He's a time traveller, a Timelord and that's what we do, we travel in time or to other planets and I know you think I'm crazy but you've seen inside the ship, it's called the Tardis. Alec, if anyone can help you, it's him, he's probably never come across anything like your condition before, he's usually got an answer for everything."

"Are you and he together? I'm not getting between anything am I?"

"No, I told you, we're just friends so don't worry. After he's seen you in the morning, we have to leave, I have to go back, to my mum and my life but we can be together again, one last time."

She put her arms around him and reached up to kiss him.

"You have a time machine yes? Then come back, in seven years, I won't even know you've been gone."

Rose laughed. "Well his driving isn't exactly accurate but yeah, I can come back, for me it will be seven years but not for you, it will only seem like days. I'll look older though, I can't just step inside the Tardis and step out in seven years, that's not how it works, I may as well just stay but I can't do that."

"I know, just promise in seven years of your time, you won't forget me and you'll come back."

Rose unfastened his shirt and he pulled off her t-shirt, kissing her neck. "Stay with me tonight Rose."

"I will Alec."

They kissed again, Rose getting his shirt off as he unfastened her bra, steering her towards the bed, pushing her back onto it. Hastily, Alec removed Rose's trousers, pulling them off then Rose reached up to unzip his trousers and pulled them down. Kneeling on the bed, he leaned over her, kissing her breasts as Rose put her arms around his back and then down the back of his shorts. Not wanting to waste any time, he removed her knickers and dove down to kiss her lower down, Rose letting out a moan as she moved one hand from his bum and moved his head where she wanted him.

He moved them further onto the bed, kissing her breasts again then across her tummy as she grabbed the back of his shorts and began tugging them down and again he stopped her.

"Why are you stopping me Alec? Haven't we been through all this?"

"I've not finished with you yet, so wait."

Rose smiled. He kissed her again and moved back down again, kissing her thighs then moved inwards as Rose felt herself beginning to feel pleasure and urged him to do more, moving herself against him and yanking his shorts down despite his protests. It made him smile as he told her she had no patience.

When she had recovered, she crawled backwards into bed, Alec following on his knees as she pulled back the covers and admired him. He reached for the bedside table and pulled a packet from on top of his mobile. "I bought something tonight, I had to go out of town for these where no-one knows me."

Rose smiled. "Allow me," she said as he opened the packet. She wasn't exactly sure it was the correct size for him but was pleasantly surprised. It added more excitement as she smoothed the item onto him and he smiled back, helping her. He lay down on his back and pulled her onto him.

"If you promise to come back, I promise to get better while you're gone, if he can't find a cure for me. Deal?"

Rose positioned herself over him and just whispered, "Deal."

This time, there was no holding back as they came together, Rose doing all the moving as he repeatedly made her moan his name and Alec just hoping he wasn't overdoing things. They both tumbled over the edge of their pleasure, Alec trying to calm himself as Rose lay on him, trying to recover enough to move. She managed to turn onto her side and smiled at him, making sure he was ok.

"That was even more amazing than last night Alec. I'm really sorry, I still can't stay, you know that but I promise you, I will come back and you won't even know I've been gone, I'll make sure of it. I know what date it is and I know I have to wait seven years, I promise I won't ever go with anyone else. I know it will be a long time for me and you probably don't believe I can do it but things change Alec, I may not even have to wait seven years if I can get him to bring me back, if it's safe."

"I know Rose, I believe you. Now come back here."

He moved over to kiss her. "Don't you think you'd better get cleaned up?"

Alec smiled and got out of bed, crossing to the bathroom. "You've got a really cute bum Alec," Rose giggled.

He came back out a few minutes later, Rose admiring him again as he got back into bed. "Definitely a ten Alec."

He grinned and began kissing her breasts again. "I'll take your word for it Rose. Now come here and snog the life out of me."

Rose giggled again as she bit his lip and then she pushed him over onto his side and wrapped her legs around him. After getting their breath back, Rose fell asleep after making sure Alec would wake her at seven. The next morning after kissing and making love again then getting dressed, she told Alec to meet her outside her room and they would go back to the Tardis.

The Doctor had been working all night and was pleased with the results, a formula that would stabilise Alec's heartbeat and prevent him for future attacks, making him well enough to lead a normal life. When he considered how long it had taken him to come up with it, he put it down to the fact that if humans had two hearts they wouldn't need curing and also the fact that sometimes he was too clever for his own good and should have come up with the same results hours ago.

Rose hadn't come back, probably taking advantage of the room and maybe having one too many drinks with Alec Hardy and sleeping it off he'd thought. Still, it wasn't like she did that every night, he could make some allowances for her, she was on holiday after all. He'd already been up at six to clear his room and not wanting to arouse suspicion had kept the key, meaning to give it to Rose to hand back when she had cleared her room after breakfast.

He was surprised when Rose and Alec came into the console room just after seven thirty.

"Ah, Rose, Alec, there you are. Come with me."

They both followed him back to the infirmary to find a bottle of liquid and a plastic needle. "Roll your sleeve up Alec, this is the cure you wanted. No more heart problems, you can have your life back."

Alec took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeve. The Doctor filled the syringe and swabbed Alec's arm. "You won't feel anything abnormal but the next time you run or do something stupid, you won't get any pain, your heartbeat will remain normal and if anyone asks why you're suddenly cured, just tell them you saw another Doctor who cured you, don't make a big deal out of it. Ready?"

Rose wanted to go to him and hold his hand but instead, she covered her mouth with both her hands and held her breath, hoping he wouldn't react badly to the injection.

Alec nodded and the Doctor stuck the needle in Alec's arm. It was all finished in a few seconds as the Doctor swabbed his arm again, leaving Alec to hold a tissue in place to stop the flow of blood. After a few moments, he took it away and rolled his sleeve back down.

"Well, how do you feel Alec?" Rose asked anxiously.

"Fine but I guess I won't know until something actually happens, will I?"

They all went off for breakfast, then the Doctor gave his key in at the desk and Rose went to get her things. Alec was supposed to be setting off to work but he wanted a few minutes with Rose before she left.

"Don't come and see my off Alec, it's bad enough you know."

"I know, just promise me you'll come back." He leaned down to kiss her.

"I will Alec and if I can find a way where I don't have to wait seven years, I will. I'll just keep myself busy, I won't even look at another man, not when I have you to go to in the future."

Alec smiled. "You say that now, let's hope you can stick to it eh?"

"I will, I can be very stubborn, just ask my mum."

They kissed again, Alec not wanting to let her go. "You do know you're not that much older than my daughter? I don't know what people will make of the fact you're a lot younger than me but when you come back, I'll still be the same age, you'll be seven years older. Is that what you do Rose? When you travel in time and yet you still appear to be the same age?"

"Something like that, it's rather complicated. Like I said, I could go back and only a few weeks may have passed for me and for you it will be a few days. I never know what's going to happen but I would stay, if I could, you know that."

"Bye Rose, I'll be waiting for you, don't leave it too long though, I might not survive without you."

Rose kissed him one last time. "See you soon, detective."

Alec just hoped that with their chosen lifestyle, they wouldn't get things mixed up and it was a few weeks for her and seven years for him but even if it was, he would wait because she was worth it. He went off to the station and tried to concentrate but he knew he wouldn't be able to until she came back.


	4. Chapter 4

Once back in the Tardis, Rose went off to her room, deciding she would unpack later and contemplated what she was going to tell the Doctor. It wasn't going to be easy, she had cooled towards him in the space of a few hours and he'd noticed. It didn't mean he was ok with it and she did owe him an explanation. She went to face him.

"You ok Doctor?"

"Me? Course I'm ok, why wouldn't I be ok?"

"I owe you an explanation."

"No you don't, we don't have an exclusive Rose, you're free to do what you like. I never interfered when Mickey was on board, did I?"

"We weren't still together, well not on my part, he had other ideas though. I didn't spend that much time alone with him, you were always there."

"What about Alec Hardy?"

"What about him? I've only known him a short time but I like him, as much as I like you, in fact he could be you and I enjoyed his company. Thanks for helping him. He wanted to know if I'd go back, when it was time."

"Time for what?"

"Well, I was seven years in my own future, I knew I couldn't stay there, I have learned something about entering my own timeline in the future you know. I'm going to go back, when seven years have passed for me, he will remember me, won't he?"

"Yes Rose, he will, it will be recent for him so long as you don't go changing everything. Are we still friends, until then?"

Rose went up to him and gave him a hug.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't, we're still good, we can just go back to how things were, no hard feelings."

"Great, that's settled then. So where are we going next?"

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

After Rose had left and Alec couldn't settle at his desk, he put his jacket on and went for a walk along the Esplanade, stopping at the end and stared out to sea. He still hated the water after what had happened. He turned around as he heard footsteps behind him.

"Thought you hated water?"

"I do but I needed to think."

"Come on then tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing Miller, just leave me alone."

"Not until you tell me. We have a murder to solve and you're not concentrating. Is it a woman?"

"What woman? Have you seen me with a woman?"

"Well yes and no. I mean I thought I saw you with a woman, a few times but each time I did, I'd just left you in the station so I thought I was seeing things. Was it you?"

"No, how could it be if you saw me somewhere else, don't be daft Miller."

"So there is no woman then?"

"No."

"Not ever?"

"Go away Miller, go harass a suspect or something, leave me alone."

"No, not until you tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing you can do, now get back to work or I'll have you for insubordination."

"I'd like to see you try."

Alec turned back towards the sea. "I'm waiting for someone coming back."

"Finally. So you're going to be a miserable git until she comes back? Then who did I see her walking around town with?"

"A friend, just that, nothing more."

"If you say so. When's she coming back then?"

"I don't know, when she gets here, it's complicated."

"So that other bloke who looked like you, who was he then?"

"Never mind, they're both gone."

"But you said she was coming back."

"She is, when it's the right time."

"Oh so you're mixed up with her and she's mixed up with him, brilliant! A love triangle."

"No Miller, it's not, it's just she can't be here at this time. She has to go back and sort things out."

"Well at least I know I wasn't going mad I suppose. You still coming for dinner Tuesday night?"

"Suppose so."

"Well if she's back, bring her with you, I'd like to meet her."

"Yeah. Back to work Miller."

Alec began thinking what had happened in the last seven years and what she might have been caught up in, cringing at the very thought of it. It didn't make him feel any better because he didn't know how long Rose was going to be away and he'd not even got through the day yet. However long it was, it was going to be far too long.

As it turned out, he was going to have to wait just over four weeks.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

The Doctor took Rose to the 2012 Olympic games, well sort of after they encountered an alien who had taken over a young girl who had made people disappear, including the Doctor, leaving Rose to save the day and be reunited with him later in the evening. They finally got to the games, missing the opening ceremony, well Rose did, the Doctor got to light the Olympic flame which pleased him no end plus Rose saved him some cakes with edible ball bearings. After his safe return though, he was troubled and told Rose a storm was coming and he was right.

Four weeks after Rose left Alec in Broadchurch and Rose had got the Doctor to take her to a bazaar on an asteroid and had bought her mother a trinket that told the weather, she persuaded him to take her home. She had a nasty suspicion something was not right with her as she should have had her monthly, something she was always regular with despite travelling in time and she wanted to be with her mum. She knew if she was pregnant it was Alec's, the date tied in and the first time, they had used no protection and she knew she couldn't go back and tell him.

Well she could but she couldn't stay more than a few days again and that wasn't fair on either of them. She could go and tell him but she would have to wait seven years and have the baby without him and go back in a few weeks to him with a seven year old. How would they explain that? Or she could just turn up with a seven year old, get her mother to help her raise the baby and surprise him but again, how would she explain it? He may be totally off with the whole thing and she would be on her own.

It would be totally different if she went back pregnant and had the baby with him being there, it would explain why she'd had to go away for a while. There was only one person who could help her solve this. They had been talking as the Doctor landed them behind the Powell Estate and walked across the playground and then up the stairs but he knew something was off with her so he stopped on the landing of Rose's block of flats.

"Come on what's wrong? I thought you were looking forward to visiting your mum?"

"I am and I need to talk to her alone, woman stuff."

"Fine, you two natter in the kitchen while I catch up on the news. Tell me what's wrong with you Rose."

"I think I'm pregnant, it's Alec's."

The Doctor went pale. "Are you sure? You should have said something about it, that day you were looking in that drawer and I gave you that injection. I told you it was no good if something had already happened."

"I didn't think anything had, it's not like I'd not had sex before but with Alec, it was different. I know now it was my first real time and I was stupid to think I'd get away with it."

"I could have given you something for afterwards if you'd just asked, you're not the first female I've had on board who had a boyfriend."

"Sorry, I didn't know how to. It's not like I could come up to you and say, hey, I had sex with Alec Hardy last night but I don't want to get pregnant."

"I wouldn't have judged you Rose and you know that. You and I could never have been together like that, humans and Timelords aren't compatible that way."

"You never said that. Are you saying it now to make me feel less guilty?"

"No, it never was a problem until I met you but I knew you wanted more and you got it, with Alec."

"Did you go there on purpose, so I would meet him?"

"No, it was purely a coincidence I swear Rose but once I saw him, I knew you'd go off with him because he looks like me and you could be together, I'm just sorry you have to wait seven years. What do you want to do?"

"I have to tell him, not telling him isn't fair, on either of us. I'm going to bring the baby up on my own and wait seven years, at least he'll know and it won't be long for him."

"You can't do it on your own Rose, I'll help you, even if I regenerate, I'll provide for you, you're not in this alone so don't even think you are. We'll go see your mum then I'll take you back to see Alec and you can have a few days with him. If he's half the man I think he is, he'll be ok with it. If I could let you stay with him, I would but you can't."

"I knew what I was getting into, he wanted me to stay and he knew I wanted to. I explained it to him, that it will only be a short time for him, I promised I would wait for him, until I can safely go back. I knew I would really fall in love one day but I never thought it would be in the future. Is there any way, the slightest chance that I don't have to wait for seven years?"

"I don't know, let me see if I can find out for you after you've told your mum."

He leaned against the door frame leading to Rose's balcony. They heard shouts come from below, some kids playing football in a group. They didn't see the ghostly figures that had just walked amongst them though.

"Come on then, I'd better get this over with, mum's going to go ballistic, she'll blame you as usual. Let me tell her first, if I tell her it's someone else, it might spare you a slap or two."

The Doctor grinned. "Thanks, I think."

He'd had a suspicion it might be something like that, the way she had gone cold on him and stopped kissing him, the night he had walked back into the hotel and glanced them in the bar without giving any signs he had seen them, she must have gone to his room with him and thinking she was leaving soon anyway, had a one night stand with him, well maybe two. He couldn't blame her, she was a hormonal woman fresh out of her teens and without a boyfriend for a long time, she was human and had needs to attend to and as much as he loved her in his own way, they could never have been together in that way but he'd lied to her about not being capable. Jackie Tyler would still blame him for letting her daughter go off with someone in the first place, what was he supposed to do with her? Tie her up?

He wasn't going to have to worry for too long.

Rose let them in and shouted "Mum, we're back. Brought you a present from this asteroid bazaar we went to and I've got something to tell you."

"Mickey came back?"

"No Mum, I told you he couldn't, you accepted that. Let's make a cuppa and I'll tell you, if you promise not to scream the place down."

Jackie stood frowning at the Doctor with a poisonous look on her face. "You didn't get my daughter pregnant did you? 'Cos if you did, I'll knock you from here to Jupiter if you have and you'd better stick by her and marry her."

"Let me finish Mum, it's not the Doctor's."

"What? You mean you are pregnant? How pregnant?"

"About four weeks, I've not done a proper test yet, I only think I am. We went to this little seaside town and I met someone, he's called Alec and he's a police detective but he's in the future, seven years in the future."

"I still blame you Doctor, you're supposed to be looking after her. Why couldn't you have gone with someone from your own time? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have the baby and wait seven years then go back to Alec."

"With a seven year old?"

"I'm going to tell him, right after we leave here so he at least knows when I go back to him. It will only be a few weeks or not even that for him."

"Well I still don't get it. Why don't you just jump seven years into the future and have the baby with him?"

"Ha, coming from you that's a bit rich Mum, I was gone a year and you had Mickey arrested for murdering me, several times. No, I can't just do that, can I Doctor?"

"And what were you doing while Rose was going with a man from the future, couldn't you have talked some sense into her not to go to bed with him?"

"Jackie, I don't own her, it's up to her what she does and no, she can't just leap seven years into the future as much as I'd like her to stay with Alec, he's a decent man and he would take great care of her. It's not as simple as that, I don't know what those years hold for Rose and you wouldn't cope with it anyway, every time we go away you panic, I can see it in your eyes every time Rose says goodbye to you, you ever want her to leave."

"Can you blame me? How many other mothers have to watch their son or daughter climb into a blue box and come back weeks later, every moment passing wondering if she's coming back or going to go missing for another year or more?"

"I know Jackie, I said I was sorry about that, it wasn't intentional. I just miscalculated a bit."

"So you said but it doesn't make this right you know, how is she going to cope?"

"I'm still here, remember? You did it and you were on your own with me. I'll manage, I have you and the Doctor."

"How long for Rose? Is he going to stay grounded when you start going into labour?"

"Hello, I'm still here too. Yes, I'll stick by her no matter what, even if I change again, I'll make sure she's looked after. If I could take her to him and let her stay, don't you think I would do it? I'm going to go back to the Tardis and study the timelines, there may be some way, it depends if Rose is destined to do anything significant in those seven years and Rose, I don't mean anything by that, you're always going to be significant and you're contemplating bringing up a baby on your own and that's the bravest thing ever and your mother knows that already. I just have to make sure nothing in this timeline is disturbed or may stop because you go live in the future, no-one is meant to do that."

"I know you'll do what you can Doctor." Rose went up to him and gave him a hug.

"Can I have some time with my mum?"

"Sure."

Rose and Jackie moved into the kitchen.

"Well I've got something to tell you two as well, guess what it is Rose?"

"Just tell us Mum, I'm not in the mood for guessing."

"You'll see for yourself, he'll be here soon, go on, guess."

"What are you talking about Mum, who will be here?"

The Doctor put down the magazine he was flicking through and listened.

"It's your granddad, he'll be here any minute." Jackie looked at her watch. "Ten past, here he comes."

Suddenly, a ghostly figure emerged from nowhere and went to stand beside Jackie.

"Here we are Dad, say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?"

Rose stood horrified at the figure, Jackie still looking at it. The Doctor rushed over to the door.

"But Mum, he died like ten years ago."

"Well he's here now."

The Doctor rushed to the front door, followed quickly by Rose then Jackie, down in the courtyard, dozens of ghosts had appeared. They went downstairs and one of the ghosts walked right through the Doctor, Rose trying to warn him.

"Oh this is so not good," the Doctor stated.

"But all our loved ones coming back, don't you think it's beautiful?" Jackie asked.

"I think it's horrific," he replied. "How long does it last?"

"A few minutes."

The ghosts began to fade away.

"Tell me how this first started, don't leave anything out."

They went back upstairs and Jackie proceeded to say it had been going on for a while, saying there had been no sign of him when it first began and they all went back to the Tardis, the Doctor setting up a field to trap one of them when they next appeared, to find out where they were coming from. He showed Rose what to do and went outside to continue.

"What are you going to do Rose, about the baby?"

"I told ya, I'm gonna bring it up and when it's time, I'm going to live with Alec. As soon as we leave here, I'm going to tell him."

"What if he doesn't want you or the baby?"

"He will though, he's a good man. He's a detective inspector and his name is Alec Hardy. He's Scottish, has a beard and looks a bit like the Doctor but I think every man looks like him in some way or another."

"Trust you to pick someone who looks like that daft alien. I'll help you Rose, you don't have to do this on your own and if you find a way to be with him, before then, I'll support what you do and I'll see you again in seven years, I'll just miss the baby growing up. You can't deny the man watching his child grow up, it was different when I lost your father, I had no choice."

"I've not even done a test yet, I may be wrong."

"Do you think you're wrong?"

"No, 'cos it happened, I know it did. I know there was Mickey but we never were serious, not like that, Alec was different, I really wanted to be with him, with Mickey it all seemed just like it was expected. I've never met anyone like Alec before. He's a lot older than me."

"Your dad was older than me and he can't be as old as the Doctor," Jackie smiled, putting her hand on Rose's shoulder. "If there's a way, the Doctor will find it."

The Doctor was outside, waiting for his ghost to appear. As if on cue, it put in an appearance. He shouted to Rose.

"It's holding," she called back.

What they didn't know was that the signal they were tracing was coming from a covert organisation called Torchwood, having been set up by Queen Victoria to watch for the Doctor and Rose's return and they knew their ghosts had been intercepted. The ghost disappeared, the Doctor gathered his equipment and they followed the signal. He looked at the monitor to see the Tardis surrounded by soldiers.

"Stay here Rose, I mean it, I don't want them capturing you, you have the baby to think about."

"But what about you? They have guns."

"And I don't, which makes me the better person. They can shoot me but the moral high ground is mine."


	5. Chapter 5

The Doctor went outside and Jackie and Rose watched through a crack in the door until the Torchwood leader insisted she knew he always travelled with someone and Jackie stepped out in her daughter's place. They were taken away and Rose was left on her own, going through his coat pockets and hoping he had left his psychic paper which luckily he had. She soon found herself being lifted in the Tardis onto the back of a flatbed lorry, just managing to see the Doctor as she went past. He nodded and she knew he would do something to get away.

Rose found herself in a storeroom so venturing out, she took a white lab coat and followed someone through a door, not realising until later it was actually Mickey, he'd come back when they had discovered the Cybermen had made it through to his old world and had persuaded Pete and Jake plus a team to go help fight them, since they owed the Doctor for helping them. It became apparent to Rose that the Cybermen had made it to her world and it soon also became clear that the room she and Mickey were in contained a void ship, probably full of more Daleks since Rose had seen them on the screen earlier and they were now being held prisoner by them.

While they had been waiting, Rose quickly told Mickey about her condition and briefly about Alec and once the Doctor had found out Pete Tyler had come back and Jackie had escaped being turned into a Cyberman, he went off to find Rose. Jackie finally met up with the alternate universe's version of her dead husband, they found Rose and Mickey and they were about to go back to the top floor to use the Torchwood device that would send the Daleks and Cybermen into the void. There was just a slight chance it wouldn't work and the Doctor had to think fast if he was to save Rose.

They were about to take the lift to the top floor when it hit him.

"Right, everyone in the lift to the top floor and wait for me, here take these." He handed a pair of magnetic clamps to Mickey. "Rose, where's the Tardis?"

"I'll show you, it's in a storage room in the basement."

"Rose, I'm taking you to Alec, stay there until I come back for you."

"What? You can't just shut me out like that."

"Rose, don't argue, you'll be safe there, you don't want to even think about the alternative, trust me because if I don't stop this, the world will be over-run with Daleks and Cybermen and we know they're not there in the future. Go tell Alec about the baby and I'll come back for you."

"What about my mum and everyone else?"

"I'll get them out, you'll see your mother soon, I promise. Come on, we don't have much time."

They reached the Tardis and he sent Rose to pack what she needed. Rose crammed everything into a suitcase, including a picture of her mother and went back to the console room.

"We're behind the Trader's hotel, just about four weeks after you left. Call Alec and have him meet you, I'll be back when I can, hopefully with your mother. Rose, we know they don't stay here so I have to go back and stop them somehow but I don't want you getting caught up in the crossfire or falling into the void, once I open it to send them in. You'll be safe here and you need Alec."

"But what about you, how will you stop yourself falling into the void?"

"That's what the clamps are for. I'm going to send your mother with the other Pete and Mickey to the other universe. Once it's safe, she can come back before the walls close." He didn't even know if this was going to work or not but it was the only way and there was a very slim chance Rose was going to lose her mother.

"Call him Rose, I have to go now, I'll see you soon." They hugged goodbye.

Rose watched the Tardis fade away, the dust swirling around and she took out her phone. Alec answered.

"Rose, where are you?"

"Back of the Trader's hotel."

"Stay right there, I'm on my way."

"Are you at work?"

"No but I moved out of the hotel. I'll be there in five minutes, don't go anywhere."

"Where am I going to go Alec?"

Rose waited and wondered how he would react when she told him what had happened and that she might not be staying. Maybe it would be better to get a test first, she could do it tomorrow but maybe she should warn him, gauge his reaction. That way, if he was against it and he threw her out, she could stay at the Trader's until the Doctor came back. She had her debit card that he had upgraded, something about money in an account from his past working for UNIT he'd told her. While she waited for Alec she debated trying to call her mother but thought it best not to until she found out what had happened, it wouldn't make that much difference.

The only difference was, Alec would be expecting her to be seven years older and she wasn't. Would he have a problem with her being young and pregnant with his child?

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

The Doctor went back, Pete took Jackie to the other universe and Mickey stayed to help him with the levers and once all the Cybermen and the Daleks were in the void, Mickey activated his dimension hopper and disappeared. The plan had been that when Mickey arrived on the other side, Jackie would be sent back but before she could, the walls closed and the system closed itself down. At least Jackie knew about Rose, that she was going to be a grandma and he'd told her he had taken her daughter to be with Alec, which had appeased her.

It was his only consolation. Going back to the Tardis, he was going to go right back to Rose but decided to give her some time with Alec. How could he tell her that her mother had gone to the other universe and was trapped there? He took himself off into the time vortex and waited until Rose would have told Alec he was going to be a father and would go break the news to her gently. At least everyone was safe.

Alec arrived, screeching to a halt at the back of the hotel car park. He leapt out of the car and scooped Rose into his arms and kissed her.

"Rose, you're here, it's been the worse four weeks of my life. Come on, I've rented a little place down by the river, I thought you would like it."

Rose let him put her suitcase into the back of his car and they set off the short distance to his new home.

"I rented it just after you left, I wanted a place of our own for you to come back to but if you don't like it, I only rented it for three months, we can look for somewhere else. You're very quiet Rose, are you ok?"

"Mmm what? Yeah I'm fine, I'm sure where you rented, I'll love it. We need to talk Alec."

"I know Rose, it's only been just over four weeks for me but I know how long it's been for you and I want to hear all about it. I wasn't at work because it's after six Rose, I'd just got home. So what have you been doing? How have you even managed to wait seven years to come back to me?"

"Did you doubt I could do it Alec? Did you think because I was so young, I'd meet someone else and forget about you?"

"No, of course not, I'm just saying, four weeks has been hell for me Rose, I just don't know how you managed to wait seven years, that's all. I never doubted you could do it."

Rose hadn't noticed Alec had already passed her new home and had turned into a field and was driving back down it, pulling up behind a bright blue chalet. Still not taking any notice, Alec got out of the car and retrieved her case from the back.

"We're home Rose, do you like it?"

He opened the car door for her and locked the doors, leading her to a gate. "The entrance is through here, just at the water's edge, though why I picked this, I don't know, I hate the water but it's only a few minutes walk to work. You never said if you like my new look Rose, I did it for you."

He had trimmed his beard back by a few days and had been to get his hair styled, his fringe was gone and he thought he looked ten years younger, plus he felt better in himself. The prospect of Rose coming back had brought him out of his misery and he had concentrated on her arrival, not how long it was going to be.

Rose walked into the chalet and looked around. "It's nice Alec, I do like it."

She stopped by the window and looked at a delicate model boat then at the birds on the river. She turned around to face him to find he had taken her case into the bedroom.

"I'm pregnant Alec, at least I think I am and it's not been seven years for me, it's been four weeks, same as for you."

Alec stopped what he was doing. "What? What did you just say?"

"It's not been seven years Alec, something happened, something bad and the Doctor brought me here, I can't stay."

"Oh, I meant the other bit, you're pregnant?"

"Yes, I lied to you that first night, well not exactly lied, I meant to take something the next morning but I got side-tracked with finding a cure for you, then the Doctor gave me an injection but he told me it wouldn't work if something had already happened and I was stupid enough to think I'd got away with it. Now I'm late and I think I'm pregnant, I've not had time to take a test."

"Rose, that's great, it really is but you said you can't stay, why?"

"Because he brought me here to keep me safe. Think back what happened seven years ago Alec."

Alec studied for a moment then it struck him. "Rose, the Cybermen invaded seven years ago, were you caught up in that?"

"Yes but he kept me safe, brought me here then he went back to deal with them. He said he would come back when it was safe but I have to go back with him, until we figure it out how I can stay without waiting seven years because I want this baby with you, not on my own."

Alec moved nearer, opening his arms. "Come here Rose, I've missed you."

Rose reached up and they kissed, Alec holding her tightly afterwards.

"I missed you too Alec and I'm sorry I was off with you and for lying to you."

"You didn't lie to me Rose, you didn't know you were going to get pregnant that night, that wasn't what you intended but you could have told me it was your first time."

"No Alec, I was stupid because I'd just well you know, finished my monthly and I should have been more careful."

"It happened Rose, there's no going back but tomorrow, you get a test and make sure you are before we start worrying. How long will you be here?"

"I don't know but if the test is positive Alec, I'm not leaving, I can't do this without you."

"Rose, I'll take care of you, I promise. When he comes back, we'll work it out somehow. If you can't live in this time, you can come back for visits, have the baby here because I'm not missing out on it, we're having it together."

"You mean that? I can get him to arrange it so there's no gap, like now, it doesn't matter how long I stay away. I'll always keep coming back and I can leave the baby with you some of the time, if you want? It won't be permanent and neither of us will really miss out, I'll come back with hardly any time passing for you and just maybe a few weeks for me. No-one will be any wiser, we don't have to tell anyone."

"You make it sound easy Rose. Let's go out and get something to eat, then we can talk and make plans but first, you go get a testing kit, I'll drive us up to the supermarket and you can do it when we get back then we'll know for certain. If you're not, we can still have the same arrangement, if you like? I know it won't be the same but it will be close, if anyone asks, you can say you travel with your job or something."

"Yeah, it's sort of true except I don't get paid, I can use the same excuse as before, that I'm going around with a travel writer and I come back here when I can though having a baby to explain won't be easy but if I leave it with you, no-one will be any wiser. I don't know why I didn't think of that."

"Because that's what I do Rose, I work things out, sometimes a bit too slowly because I've been on this case too long and I should have solved it by now, guess I have your absence to thank for that."

"Thanks Alec," she smiled, hitting his arm playfully.

"I've been useless without you, I admit it. Let's go eat then we'll go up to the supermarket unless you want to leave it?"

"No, I meant to do it earlier but I've been sort of busy dodging Cybermen and getting held captive by Daleks, you know, just ordinary every day stuff."

"Rose, I can't believe you were actually caught up in that. What else did you get involved with mmm? That spaceship crashing into Big Ben? Downing Street getting blown up? Replica of the Titanic over London?"

"What? Don't know anything about the Titanic but guilty over the others. Harriet Jones was a good mate, we hid in a cupboard during that," Rose laughed.

"Rose, it's not funny, you can't keep doing things like that if you are pregnant and you know it."

"I never intended to Alec so stop worrying. I'll stop all that now, even if I'm not actually pregnant because I'll just keep popping home for a few days then come back here, to you. You won't even miss me."

"I will." He put his arms around her and led her outside. "You can unpack later let's eat."

Alec led her back to the car and he drove up to a pub on the roundabout leading to the main road, just across from the supermarket. After they had eaten, Rose went into the store to get a testing kit and Alec picked up some groceries, unfortunately bumping into Ellie Miller.

"Hello, there, I'm Ellie, Ellie Miller, you must be his friend he's been talking about for the last few weeks."

"Yeah, I guess, I'm Rose," Rose replied, trying to hide the pregnancy testing kit under a loaf of bread in the trolley without her seeing it.

"Great, he might stop being a misery guts now you're back, he's been driving everyone up the wall. Why don't you come round for dinner one night for a chat?"

"Well I don't know how long I'm staying actually, I'm still travelling around, just coming back when I can from time to time. I still have to earn a living. Don't know how long it's going to last."

"Oh, what do you do then? He said something about a travel writer's assistant?"

"Yeah, that's right," Rose replied, trying to look at Alec to rescue her but he was halfway down the aisle getting teabags. She called after him to get some coffee.

"So when did you get back? Honestly he's been a pain in the backside since you left. It was funny though, I kept seeing you around town with someone who looked just like him, I thought I was seeing things. Was that the man you work for?"

"Yeah, Doctor John Smith, doctor of everything turned travel writer, we're on a break. I usually go home while he gets the thing written up but I met Alec the last time and came back."

"Oh, so you two are serious then?" Ellie grinned as Alec came back.

Rose saw the coffee and shook her head, telling him what brand she wanted and to get some hot chocolate while he was there. He also asked her what brand she wanted in that to save him going back again. She just hoped she had hidden her other purchase well and no-one at the checkout knew who he was. She had a feeling he was stalling as long as he could to avoid answering any awkward questions.

"We'll fix a date then, for you to come round. I'll let you get on then."

Ellie went off and Rose had forgotten to ask what day it was. It was Friday.

"We have the whole weekend Rose, we can go down to Weymouth and stay overnight if you want?"

"Yeah, I've never been there. I hope she didn't see what I hidden under the bread, she'd be asking all kinds of questions. Should I go pay for that separately so if anyone sees?"

"No, why? I've got nothing to hide but let's just make sure first, shall we?"

Shopping finished and once back at the chalet, Alec put the groceries away and Rose went to unpack. She knew she would still need some more things and would have to bring a few at a time when she went back to the Tardis. She was practically going to use the ship as a taxi service, going away for a week and coming back for however long the Doctor thought was safe to stay but if the test was positive, that would have to change. She was going to be asking a lot of the Doctor, to leave her with Alec and go back only if he thought she was absolutely needed and leave the baby with him for safety until the seven years were up.

That was unless the Doctor had found another way. She went off to the bathroom to take the test, reading the instructions on the packet carefully. Alec saw her going in and sat on the bed, waiting for her to tell him what the result was.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose took the testing kit into the bathroom and Alec sat on a chair by the window, waiting for his fate to be decided. He had been so pleased Rose had come back to him but her news was totally unexpected to say the least. In just four weeks, goodness knows what she had been up to and to learn she had just that day back in her time had been facing the Cybermen and she would have chosen to stay and finish it had she not thought she was pregnant, with his child and even then, he thought the Doctor had actually had the last word and decided for her. She would have stayed despite that because she was fiercely loyal to him, so why was she choosing to have the baby here, right now and not in the past?

Rose was in the bathroom, staring at the instructions, never even imagining she would ever be doing this with her chosen lifestyle. It was getting late on in the evening, she was exhausted and really felt like leaving this until morning but they both needed to know for certain. The only question was, if it was negative, would Alec still want her to stay with him? Would she be tempted to go back with the Doctor when he came to collect her and carry on with what they always did? She had a big decision to make and she couldn't make it alone, she had two men to think about and both would be devastated if she stayed with one and not the other.

She hardly knew Alec, had spent two wonderful nights with him and he had given her the one thing she needed, a chance of a fairly ordinary life, with him. He had a steady job, he was now healthy and she was sure he would make a great dad. He'd mentioned a daughter, she herself apparently not much older and he was expecting her back seven years older but she supposed technically she was, she just didn't look or feel it. What would her mother make of it?

Rose closed her eyes and waited for the results, then decided Alec should see so she exited the bathroom and sat across the table from him, putting the test kit down. He took her hand and they looked. It was positive, four weeks. Alec had insisted she had bought the more expensive and accurate kit on the supermarket shelf so as no mistakes were made. He stood up and pulled her from the chair, putting his arms around her.

"Well, I guess that's that then, you're staying and no arguments, we'll get around this. I don't want you putting yourself in danger by going off head first and fighting more Cybermen or anything else. Were you involved when those people were taking those slimming capsules and the fat came to life by any chance?"

Rose looked at him and burst out laughing. "Are you even being serious Alec? No anything after the Cyberman I can honestly say had nothing to do with me. We never really travelled past 2006, well apart from coming here and going to see the 2012 games. We'll just have to wait until he comes back, he said he would give me a few days with you first. So what do we do now Alec?"

"I think you should get some rest. Then tomorrow we'll figure things out, just you and me, whatever is going to happen involving you going off will wait until then, tonight I just want you. You're not going to go off sex altogether are you? Only I was hoping there would be lots of it once you came back."

Rose smiled and put her arms around his neck. "Don't be daft Alec, I don't feel any different, we can have sex as much as you like, at least until I can't any more. Even then we can still be together in other ways, you don't have to worry about that, not ever 'cos me going off you is never going to happen."

Just to reassure him, she began unfastening his shirt buttons, running her hands over his chest. "How are you feeling now anyway? Have you been ok since the Doctor gave you that injection?"

"I feel great Rose but I was just upset that you left and acted like a bear with a sore head, shouting at everyone. I was marking off how many days you'd been gone which got me even more irritated so I shook myself off and counted them as one less day before you came back."

Rose reached up and they kissed, Alec lifting her off her feet and holding her tightly, then remembering about the baby. Instead, he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, putting her gently on the bed.

"Wait there, I'll be back in a second."

Rose lay where he had put her, wondering if he wanted her to get undressed or if he wanted to do it himself, deciding to let him have that particular pleasure so he would let her do the same to him, it was all she had thought about for the last four weeks. She did actually feel different but it wasn't going to stop her, not now he was well again. He came back a few minutes later. Rose decided to tease him.

"Alec, if you've come back with some protection, it's a bit late for that."

He grinned. "Oh, that's a shame, I rather enjoyed you helping me last time." He dangled a packet in front of her, grinning.

"Are you even being serious Alec?"

"Well I just was making sure and to prove to you I haven't used them while you've been away."

"I never doubted that Alec." She began fingering the hem of her t-shirt after taking her jacket off.

Alec saw his chance, tossing the small package onto the dresser. "Guess I won't be needing that then?"

"Well if you bring it here, I might consider letting you but only if you let me do it by myself this time?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Well in that case, who am I to turn down an offer like that?"

He knelt on the bed, pulling her t-shirt off then reaching to unfasten her bra, kissing her breasts as he did.

"I missed you Rose, every night I could see you lying beside me, smiling at me when you woke up, after I had woken first and watched you, the sun catching your hair on the pillow. Then you would move back to me and we'd kiss for a while then you would come and lay on me and we'd make love again after I flipped you onto your back, pulling up your thin nightdress that had a plunging neckline and thin straps. I'd look at you and kiss your exposed skin, then pull down the straps and kiss both your breasts while you put your arms around my neck then ruffle my hair then you'd kiss my neck and make a big red mark that I couldn't hide under my collar and Miller would smirk all day."

"Then why are you still fantasising Alec? I'm here, right now and we don't have to wait until morning. I want you now."

He pulled down her black trousers, then her white cotton knickers, diving down to kiss her further down as she fumbled with the zip of his trousers, him helping by pulling them down at the back, reaching back with his hand while Rose pulled them down at the front until he was free of both his trousers and his boxer briefs, much to Rose's delight.

"Alec, pass that packet over."

"Mmm? Oh you were serious? It doesn't matter Rose, like you said, it's a bit late for that."

"I want to Alec, now pass it over."

He humoured her and reached for the packet, ripping it open. Rose proceeded to put the item on him, a bit too fast for his liking but Rose savoured it, smoothing it as she went. She had a wicked smile on her face.

"This is what I dreamt about Alec, we can still use them now and again even if we don't exactly need them. Now it's your turn to go on top."

"Rose, I don't want to put my weight on you, I don't want to crush you."

"I'm fine Alec, just once won't harm, just prop yourself up, I want to do this properly."

"Oh Rose, I think we did it properly the first time, don't you?"

Rose giggled. "Shut up and get on with it Alec."

"I don't need telling twice Rose."

Rose squealed with delight when they touched, Alec being gentle at first until she encouraged him by pinching his bum and telling him not to go easy on her. Doing as asked, he made the final effort to bring them both tumbling over the edge together, Rose panting for breath as he slowly came away from her. Feeling the loss, she moved him onto his back and lay on him, both trying to recover.

"That was even better Alec, I wish I'd not stayed away as long."

"So do I Rose please, don't go away again."

Still trying to recover, which Rose thought was going to take a while, she tried to explain again why she couldn't, not permanently.

"Alec, I'll stay as much as is possible, you know that and I'll keep out of trouble, I promise. I'll stop travelling around, I'll stay with my mum and the Doctor can keep bringing me here all the time. He'll do it, I know he will. Please Alec, don't make this any more difficult for me, you know I want to so I'll be here as much as I can. I'll keep those doctor's and hospital appointments, you can go with me if you're up for it."

"You're not excluding me Rose, you know I want all that with you, my ex kept me out of all that, we were both working and she chose times I couldn't go with her. I'm not doing that again. This time I want it all. Don't worry, she doesn't have anything to do with me, it's all I can do to get my daughter to talk to me."

"Sorry Alec. I want you involved in every part of this. We'll have to move soon, if we're to get a place ready, I don't want to not be able to do things. Will we need to get another furnished place?"

"No, I have some things in storage and we can buy the rest. There's plenty of time."

"Yeah, I suppose, though the sooner we start, the better. I may come back and find you've done it without me."

"Don't joke about it, I wouldn't do that, well except this once but I did that so you didn't have to go back to the hotel. I knew you'd call when you arrived."

"I'm tired Alec, it's been a hell of a day for me and I don't know what happened to my mother. The Doctor was sending her to the other universe until it was safe to come back and I'm surprised she hasn't shown up here looking for me."

Alec was just telling her they would find out soon enough but Rose was already settled on him and was asleep.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

The Doctor didn't know how long it had actually been but after he had put the Tardis into orbit, he'd had a visitor and saved the world from a giant red spider with the help of a bride-to-be called Donna and had drained the river Thames in the process. He was so glad Rose hadn't been there for that but as soon as his guest left to go back to her family, he went back into the time vortex and tried to get back to where he had left Rose, trying not to make it too long. He still had to tell her about her mother not coming back.

The next few days were to be filled with Rose trying to get to grips with going backwards and forwards in time to be with Alec and still see her mother in the past though she knew she wouldn't be able to see her in the present time, Jackie got confused enough as it was. She also had to explain to Alec that the nearer she got to being able to stay permanently, she didn't know how that would exactly go until it actually happened and hoped the universe wouldn't implode or something. Alec had laughed as they talked, walking down the promenade in Weymouth eating ice cream after lunch.

He had booked them into a hotel for the night and taken her to buy a sexy nightdress, the kind he had been dreaming about, Rose only too willing to fulfil his fantasy. On the Sunday morning, Alec woke first and was able to make his dream come true as he watched Rose sleep then watched her smiling and moving over onto him. As she sat astride him, running her fingers over the hairs on his chest, he asked if she could feel the baby yet, putting his hand gently on her stomach.

"No, not really, I think I've put a bit of weight on but not much, things are feeling a bit tighter, I guess I'll have to get some bigger clothes. I'll have to get some the next time I go back to the Tardis. I thought he would have been back by now."

"Don't wish him back too soon Rose, I want some more time with you. Can't you make it so that when I come home from work every night, you've been away and come back to me?"

"I'll really try Alec, if I can get him to do it. Sometimes his driving is a bit off."

Alec smiled. There was no way he could settle for her being away for four weeks at a time. If she could be there every night when he got home, he could live with her being away during the day. After all, what was the point of having a time machine if you couldn't take full advantage of it?

He drove them back to Broadchurch, pulling in behind the chalet to see a familiar blue box where he had been parking. Rose got out of the car first just as the Doctor opened the door.

"Hello Rose. Been away for the weekend?"

"Talk about stating the obvious Doctor."

Alec was getting their overnight bag out of the back of the car.

"Alec, everything ok? Have you had any problems health-wise since I gave you that injection?" the Doctor asked.

"No, I've been fine apart from Rose not being here. Thanks for bringing her back to me."

"You're welcome."

Rose went up to him and gave him a hug. "The test was positive, we've been celebrating. Are you coming to see inside the chalet? It's only temporary, we'll have to find somewhere else soon though it kind of reminds me of the Tardis. Where's my mum? Did you take her back home? I thought she would have demanded you brought her straight to me."

"We all need to talk Rose, inside would be better."

Alec led the way and opened the door, Rose going in first.

"So come on Doctor, you must have sent all those Daleks and Cybermen back into the void, what else have you been up to while you were waiting for me to spend some time with Alec?"

The Doctor stared out of the window, Alec eyeing him. He turned around.

"She's not coming back Rose, the void closed before she had time to get back. Mickey stayed to help me and when all the Daleks and Cybermen were gone, he used his device to go back, he was supposed to send your mother back as soon as he got there but just seconds after he left, the walls closed."

Alec took hold of Rose, who threw her arms around him. Rose was lost for words as Alec sat her on the sofa.

"I'm sorry Rose but there's no way back, intentionally or accidentally, the walls are sealed, permanently. I went to your flat and got some valuables out for you, they're in the Tardis. Some photos and your dad's trophies and some other stuff, didn't have a lot of time to look around apart from your room, things I knew you would want. They put your mother on the list of the missing, so many people did that day and I told your next door neighbour you were coming to live with me so she would tell your relatives. You should still have all your ID in place, nothing will have changed. You can safely contact anyone, tell them you've been living abroad or travelling, whatever you like. You're free Rose, you can stay here, with Alec."

"But my mother, was she ok? You told her you'd taken me to Alec?"

"Yes she knows you're safe. If there's a chance for her to come back Rose, I'll get her, I promise. Even if I change again, I'll get her back to you."

"What do you mean change?" Alec asked, keeping hold of Rose.

"If I regenerate Alec. Timelords can change if they are dying. I didn't always look like you, that must have been a bonus. I don't exactly always have a choice. Sometimes I do. Maybe the last time, I was meant to look like this, I don't know but looking the way I do, it was easier for Rose to find you."

"Hang on Doctor, don't think I'm with Alec because he happens to look like you, that's not how it works."

"I'm not saying that Rose but think back to when you two met. You thought he was me and he talked to you."

"Rose, it's ok, I know what he's getting at and I know that's not the case, I may not have gone over to talk to you that night had Becca Fisher not thought it was funny and mistook me for the Doctor, just like you did. It doesn't matter that we look alike, I know that's not why you're with me."

"I hadn't thought about that, it was kind of funny I suppose. I might not have talked to you or accepted that drink but there is one problem Doctor."

"What's that?"

"Well all my papers say I was born in 1987 but I haven't aged, I still look the same as I did in 2006. How am I going to explain that?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something Rose. You don't have to come back to me or keep coming back to Alec, you can stay, right now. Go get yourselves another house to live in, go for your check-ups, have the baby, neither of you have to miss out now, it's permanent Rose. You're here to stay and I promise, I'll keep looking in on you from time to time though you may not always recognise me"

Rose got up and looked at him. "I will you know, I'll always know who you are. Thank you and I'll know you'll bring my mum back if you can. I should try and contact the people I left behind. Oh, Alec mentioned something about the Titanic flying over London. That anything to do with you?" Rose smiled.

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair and he didn't need to answer. "Maybe in the future but I did just drain the Thames after saving London from a giant red spider with a woman called Donna who appeared in the Tardis after I dropped you off here."

They both looked at him. Alec wondered what he was letting himself in for. They followed him back out to the Tardis and he retrieved the things he had rescued from Rose's flat.

"I expect your relatives got the rest, like I said, I didn't have a lot of time. Is there anything you want from your room here?"

"Yeah, I'll go get the rest of my clothes though I need some bigger ones now."

"Well ask the Tardis nicely and she might provide you with some maternity clothes in your wardrobe."

"Alec, do you want to see my room?"

He followed her down the corridor and Rose opened the door. Just as she had left it, clothes scattered around, like she was coming back but she knew she never was now. She had everything she needed except her mother but considering the alternatives, it still didn't make it right. She should have had Alec, the baby and her mother and hoped her mum would get together with the other Pete Tyler and have a life there but nothing would keep them from thinking about each other all the time.

Alec made Rose come back out of her old room when she started crying, putting his arm around her and taking a case she had filled up, the Doctor taking a holdall and following them back to the console room, Alec picking up the carrier bag full of mementos. He put the holdall on his shoulder and took Rose's arm.

"Come on Rose, let's go home."

"Can I have a minute Alec? I promise I'll be right with you, I just want to say goodbye."

Alec nodded then shook the Doctor's hand.

"Look after her Alec, you both have a new start now. I know what happened with your last case and you will solve it, one of these days, just like you will this one because you have Rose with you now, she'll make all the difference."

"Thanks Doctor. Rose, I'll take these into the chalet then we'll go get something to eat if you want?"

"Yeah, ok. I won't be long."

Alec left the Tardis, leaving Rose and the Doctor alone, facing each other.

"Well Rose, this isn't goodbye, not really. I'll keep an eye on you, I want to know what you have."

"I know Doctor. I was going to ask you to leave me here as much as was possible but I guess there's no need any more. It was fun though wasn't it? All we did together and I never meant for things to get out of hand between us but the kisses were kind of nice."

"Yeah, they were. They made it more bearable when things weren't exactly going according to plan but we couldn't have been together like you and Alec are. He's a good man Rose, he'll get through this murder investigation and he'll do it because you're with him, you always make things better Rose and I will miss you."

"One last hug Doctor, though not the usual kind, I don't want you squashing the baby."

The Doctor made it a gentle hug. "You'd best get back to Alec, he's probably watching out of the window for you."

"Promise me one thing Doctor? That you'll come and see me before you go regenerating again?"

"Of course I will Rose, I wouldn't just go like that and I don't intend changing any time soon and if you hear of something that happened in the past, it was probably me."

Rose smiled and extracted herself from his arms. "Bye Doctor, take care of yourself and find someone to travel with, promise?"

"Promise, you don't know Donna do you? She said that to me."

Rose smiled. "No but she's right. Why don't you go back and get her to go with you?"

"I asked her, she turned me down flat. Said I terrified her."

"She might come round, she might go looking for you if she gets bored."

"Yeah. Anyway, you'd best be off and watch out for your mother appearing because I'll do everything I can to bring her back."

"Never doubted you."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Go on, get out of here you daft alien."

The Doctor smiled. "Bye Rose, have a fantastic life with Alec Hardy."

"I will. Bye Doctor. I'll wave you off."

He got back in the Tardis and Rose watched it fade away again. She walked back round to the chalet and Alec held his arms out to her, Rose falling into them with tears running down her face.

"Come on Rose, I'll make us something to eat then you have a lot to tell me. I want to know everything you got up to, don't leave anything out."

Rose looked up and kissed him. "Alec, that may take some time."

"Well you had better get started or you'll be still telling them as bedtime stories to our kids."

"Kids? Do you know something I don't?"

"No but if you think I'm settling for just one, think again Rose Tyler."

After they had eaten, Rose wanted to walk along the sea front and the harbour. "There's lots to do Alec. I have to get signed up at a health centre and the hospital, the Doctor retrieved my birth certificate so I don't have to do that but my passport needs renewing."

"We can do that, then I'll go register at the property letting place up in the town, we can start looking for somewhere. Do you know something Rose?"

"What?" she asked, sitting on the wall with some help.

"I bet everything that's happened that's been peculiar in the last seven years was down to him so I'll have to fill you in on those and you can tell me about your off-world adventures."

"And world war two plus when we met Queen Victoria."

"Oh trust you to have met royalty. Don't tell me you two got knighted or the equivalent?"

"How did you guess? You're talking to Dame Rose I'll have you know."

"Well your Ladyship, it's time we got back home."

Just then, Rose's phone rang, which surprised her since Alec was the only one who had her number. She got it out of her pocket. The screen said 'Mum' and Rose almost dropped the phone, showing it to Alec.

Jackie excitedly told Rose how she got back but wasn't staying.

"The Doctor zapped my phone so I could call you, I'm in 2009 but I have to go back for now. Pete and I got married, you have a young brother. The Doctor said ask Alec about the stars going out."

"But why can't you stay Mum?"

"I can't Sweetheart, I know how hard it is but the Doctor promised me if there was a way, he'd do it. We're in Norway of all places and we're just going back now. Mickey's staying here, his gran died recently so he might look you up, told him to leave it until 2013. I have to go now, I love you Rose."

"Love you too Mum. What's my brother's name?"

"It's Tony and he looks just like his dad. The Doctor's calling me, I have to go, I'll put him on for a minute."

There was silence. "Hello Rose. I know we've probably just said goodbye and if I could let your mum stay I would. We have to go now. Bye Rose."

Saying goodbye to her mother and the Doctor, Rose hung up and told Alec. "At least you know now. It's going to be ok Rose, she'll come back again, for good next time and she'll have a grandchild to come back to."

"Mum said to ask you about the stars going out."

"Right. The day the earth got moved across the sky."

"Trust me to miss that."

"Oh Rose, that's not all you missed. The other Christmas, everyone went crazy and believed they were someone else and a red planet appeared in the sky, you can bet who was partly responsible for that?"

Rose managed a smile.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

Eight months later, Mickey had found her and came for a visit, she saw her Doctor for the last time and Rose was in labour, shouting at her partner and saying if he wanted any more kids, he was having them next time. He knew she didn't mean it, it was just the pain she was in. He had just come back into the delivery room after telling Ellie that Rose had gone into labour and imagined that she could hear Rose shouting over the phone. He'd only gone out because he had been told she wasn't ready yet but the baby had other ideas.

A few hours later, he was holding his newborn son in his arms as Rose was getting cleaned up and a few stitches, sitting on the chair beside her. She took his free hand when she was settled and he went to sit on the bed.

"What was that about not having any more Rose? Wasn't it all worth it?"

"Yeah, course it was, I didn't mean to yell at you. You know that don't you?"

"Yes I know. Here."

He passed the baby over to her, putting his arm around her.

"So it's Peter Alan then?" he asked, kissing her cheek then the baby's.

Rose nodded, leaning down to kiss the baby's forehead then reaching for Alec's cheek.

"I love you Alec."

"I know but the only question now is his surname. Is it Tyler or Hardy?"

"That a question or a proposal Alec?"

Alec smiled. He hadn't even thought about it. He wanted to marry her but was afraid she would run away but it had now become clear she was going nowhere, in the past, present or future or even off-world any time soon.

"Well I guess it's a proposal then, if you're offering?"

"I'm offering. You're all I have in the world Alec, you and Peter. You're all I need as well.

The End!


End file.
